EC Reding Asks Bulgarian President to Seek Consensus

Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenships. Photo by EPA/BGNES

European Justice and Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding expects from Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev, to seek political consensus for the sake of his country.

Reding spoke in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, saying she was going to ask Plevneliev to do everything within his authority to reach political stability and national agreement between political parties in Bulgaria.

The Commissioner is arriving in Sofia on Monday, July 22, to meet with the President, with Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, Zinaida Zlatanova, and to participate in the public Citizens' Dialogue, which is part of the debates with EU citizens across the "Old Continent" on issues related to the elections for European Parliament in 2014.

She has already commented on the peaceful, but mass and relentless anti-government protests in Bulgaria.

"My sympathies are on the side of Bulgarian citizens, who are in the streets to protest against corruption," said the EC Vice-President in an interview for the Bulgarian 24 Chasa daily published on Friday, July 19.

"It is now high time to deepen efforts for reform of the Bulgarian judiciary and for fight against corruption and organized crime," added Reding.

"The political situation in Bulgaria is polarized. The EC calls on all political actors in the country for consensus in the name of Bulgaria's stability and prosperity," said she.

Reding stressed that the Commission is respecting the right of EU member states to autonomously regulate internal affairs, but noted certain domestic processes can reflect on the Union as a whole.

The Citizens' Dialogue discussion in Sofia will be held Monday in the Military Club between 10 and 11:45 am.

Those wishing to participate can register at: COMM-REP-SOF-CITIZENSDIALOGUE@ec.europa.eu.

The debate can be followed online; social networks users can participate via Twitter with hashtag #EUdeb8 or on Facebook through the official page of the European Commission Representation in Sofia.

The Bulgarian National Television will air it live on BNT2.

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